Paris Day 4: L'Auberge Bressane

After a full day at Versaille, we had decided to stick close to the hotel. This turned out to be a great idea. The Rue Cler neighborhood is full of classic French food, small cafes, and high end bistros. We happened upon L'Auberge Bressane. The specialized in traditional homestyle French cuisine. 

Their menu featured favorites like coq au vin and mussels. We started with the house terrine served with an onion chutney and a jar of house pickles, and the Œufs en Meurette à la Mode du Beaujolais which is a broth like a consume with bacon, mushrooms and soft boiled eggs eaten with crusty bread.  As entrees we tried the canard à l’orange serves with thin fried potatoes and the house specialty Bresse chicken cooked in white wine and cream with morels. This was my first encounter with Bresse chicken. The Bresse chicken comes from of course Bresse, where it has been given an appellation d’origine contrôlée meaning it is protected like a patent by French and European law. Only chickens from this region in the Rhone-Alpes can be called Bresse.  We finished with the house chocolate souffle which was smooth and light. 

The dishes were distinct and homey. The dishes were simple in presentation, but complex in flavor. The service was friendly and the atmosphere was that of a small town restaurant, with traditional table cloths, and appropriate kitsch on the walls. L'Auberge Bressane calls itself the last auberge in Paris. They may well be a rare find in a city of high concept gourmet. The food is quintessentially French, delicious, and unpretentious. I was happy to have found our way to this hidden gem.